Have we not had enough of thinner influencers thinking they’re on to something revolutionary by leaning forward to make fake belly rolls and then telling people even thin bodies have rolls of “fat”?

Have we not had enough of this absurd fad already?

What these influencers, with their either slender, straight size or only slightly overweight bodies, are failing to realize is that their messages are a mockery to obese women who can’t instantly make their belly rolls disappear by merely shifting position!

These thinner influencers (I’m using “thinner” to refer to slender, straight size or slightly overweight) keep pounding out the message – complete with images and videos to demonstrate – that EVERYONE has belly rolls if they sit a certain way.

Do they actually believe that even the daffiest person already doesn’t know this?

Alongside their messages is the secondary message that women shouldn’t feel pressure or a need to employ tricks to look better in photos.

At the same time, these influencers will be wearing a good amount of makeup, have in hair extensions or artificially curled hair, and fake fingernails. Oh – and fake tans.

And who knows how many have had lip injections, permanent eyeliner tattooed in or some other cosmetic procedure such as laser skin resurfacing.

They preach that it’s so very wrong for a woman to try to look her best, via body positioning (which includes sucking in the gut) for a photo.

But how is this any different than an influencer deliberately draping her tresses over the front of her body for a photo?

What about influencers who’ve had their teeth whitened?

How is this any different than a woman who makes sure her thighs are positioned to look their leanest for a photo?

When are these influencers going to just give it up already and stop behaving as though they’re on to something wickedly revolutionary and groundbreaking?

Um, I think that any Instagram user with at least three brain cells is already acutely aware that when Instagram stars with “perfect” bodies take selfies, they are in the most optimal pose.

So let me see if I understand this nonsense. It’s wrong – a sign of body dysmorphia or body image disorder – to pose in a way that elongates the tummy and makes it appear tight and lean.

But then, it’s perfectly okay at the same time to put chemicals on one’s face to conceal blemishes and freckles, and add color to one’s cheeks to get rid of paleness, and to put a hot iron to one’s hair to burn it into a wave or curl. WTF.

Today’s young women are more confused and mixed up than ever, and I think it’s because of all the ridiculous messages that these “body positive” and “body love” influencers keep pumping out.

Ironically, many influencers, who purport to have all the answers to achieving happy mental health, are in therapy.

A person with good mental health will not feel a need to seek mental health counseling or psychological therapy. 

They waste no time announcing how mere comments on their postings from complete strangers have shattered their self-worth.

My niece is an influencer with an impressive following on both Instagram and TikTok.

One day I mentioned to her that I was interested in starting a YouTube channel.

She pointed out that I should be prepared for some nasty comments should my channel take off, and to be careful, as hateful comments can take their toll.

We had communicated via text, and I did not respond to her warning.

But had we been talking in person, I would’ve responded with, “Are you kidding me? I’m a rock. No stranger’s comment could shake me.

“They could ridicule my hairstyle, the way I wear makeup, the way I talk, my facial expressions – ALL THEY WANT. I say, BRING IT ON.”

What really vexes me is that many of these influencers get hundreds of comments praising them for how inspirational they are, how beautiful they are, how fabulous they look, how gorgeous “that color” is on them, etc., etc., for every single post.

Yet that one negative comment here and there throws these influencers into a tizzy.

They fail to realize that no matter whom you are, if you “put yourself out there” for the entire world to see, there’s always going to be a negative comment.

They fail to realize a fundamental rule: Nobody owes anyone attraction.

They need to grow up and accept the reality that not everyone is going to find them attractive.

Even other influencers with the bodies that the preachy influencers would love to have, certainly get “hateful” comments – perhaps from women who think they’re too thin, or men who think their boobs aren’t big enough, or a cosmetics guru who thinks the eye makeup is done wrong.

None of this stuff existed when I was growing up. People posed for pictures to look their best.

This included smiling when inside they felt rotten. Talk about deception! The fake smile!

If I ever get my YouTube channel launched (it’ll be called Anti-Woke and Autistic), I will make sure the lighting is optimal, and that I’m wearing makeup, so that my face looks its best.

Why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t I make sure I’m not sitting in a way that creates a pseudo roll of belly fat?

You can bet that if any of these influencers were invited to do a podcast, they wouldn’t DARE begin the event without first making sure their makeup and hair were perfect. You can bet the farm on that hypocrisy.

Lorra Garrick has been covering medical and fitness topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer. In 2022 she received a diagnosis of Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

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Top image: Freepik.com/master1305